The former Manchester United and England striker Andy Cole was allegedly racially abused by two men on an Aer Lingus flights from Dublin on Sunday. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole was racially abused on an Aer Lingus flight on Sunday, according to reports.

The Irish Independent claims two men were arrested at Manchester airport following the flight from Dublin, where the ex-England forward was working as a television pundit for the game between his old side and Norwich the previous day. The paper claims the men had drinks confiscated after drunkenly hurling slurs at the 42-year-old.

"We can confirm that it was an Aer Lingus flight and that an incident of racial abuse occurred," a spokesperson from the Greater Manchester Police told Independent.ie.

"The victim of the abuse was identified as Mr Andrew Cole. We have received a number of enquiries in relation to the incident."